The Chiefs’ worst fears surrounding the knee injury to boom All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi have been confirmed as last season’s World Rugby breakthrough player of the year looks set to miss the entire Super Rugby Pacific season.
Sititi, who suffered the injury on the All Blacks’ end of year tour to the northern hemisphere, underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee last week.
In a statement, the Chiefs have confirmed Sititi, 22, “is not expected to have much on-field involvement” during the 2025 Super Rugby season.
Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan says everyone saw the impact Sititi had last season and he is certainly a big loss for them, but their focus is now on supporting his recovery and eventual return to the field.
McMillan says he also knows Sititi will continue to contribute positively to their environment in any way he can.
The All Blacks' last test of 2024 was a 29-11 win over Italy on November 24, almost two months ago, where Sititi played 80 minutes in the No 6 jersey.
Earlier this month, McMillan said it had taken Sititi almost eight weeks to have surgery because "he just hasn't the surgeons available to be able to operate".
Before starring for the All Blacks and winning World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year award, Sititi was an influential figure in the Chiefs’ run to the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific final, where they lost to the Blues.
A rematch of that clash awaits in round one of the 2025 season, at Eden Park on February 15, where the Chiefs will also be without fullback Shaun Stevenson, who is in Japan for a short stint with the Kubota Spears, ahead of a permanent move there at the end of the year.
With the All Blacks set to play France in three tests on July 5, 12 and 19, it might not be just the Chiefs who are hit hard by Sititi’s injury.
[Source: Stuff.co]
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